Respite
by GirlwithCurls98
Summary: After a particularly grueling mission, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and the 501st are sent to Kamino for some much needed medical care. Free from the battlefield (and out of sight of a certain protective Knight), Ahsoka gets to know some of the troopers better. Shenanigans ensue. A little summer wine doesn't hurt either.


Anakin Skywalker's leg was numb. It had started as an irksome prickling in his thigh, but the distinct fuzzy feeling had quickly spread until even his toes were tingling. Anakin's leg was numb, but that was the least of his worries. His current problem was the tiny Torgrutan teenager that had passed out next to him.

Ahsoka Tano slept with her head resting in her master's lap, curled up like a lothcat cub. It was only a few hours from Ylsia to Kamino, but the stress of the mission had worn greatly on her, until the hard benches of the transport seemed like the softest bed in the universe.

"Rex!" Anakin whispered to the passing clone. He stopped, noting the snoozing padawan, but making no comment.

"Is everything alright, General?" Anakin smiled at the soldier's natural concern.

"Everything's fine, Rex. Could you send Kix this way? Just need him to check something."

"At once, General." Rex replied and headed off in search of the medic. Not a minute later, Kix appeared, his medi-kit already in hand. Anakin shook his head, not for the first time marveling at the perceptive clone doctor.

"Are you okay, sir?"

"Not me Kix, it's Ahsoka. There's a bloodied bandage on her right knee. I've no idea how she managed to hide it from me, but my guess is she patched it up during the mission so I wouldn't say anything. Mind taking a look?"

Kix had already knelt and was unpacking his things. "Not at all General. Just... try to keep her still."

Anakin chuckled, knowing full well how difficult his jumpy apprentice could be when she was being looked over.

Kix got to work quickly and unwrapped the bandages from around her knee, discarding them. His brow furrowed, a change that did not go unnoticed by Anakin. It wasn't until he sat back from his inspection that the Jedi dared breathe.

"Well, I'll have to do a full exam to be sure, but I'm fairly certain she dislocated her knee. It's extremely swollen and irritated, not to mention scraped up. I think she tried to pop it back into place herself, but that may have only made things worse."

Anakin buried his anger and frustration, so he didn't disturb his exhausted apprentice. "Would this have pained her much?"

Kix knew exactly where the General was going with this, but he knew better than to lie to him. "Yes sir. I'm surprised she didn't ask for any help."

Anakin breathed in and out. His initial anger melted into sadness. _Oh, Snips. We've got a lot to talk about._ "Can anything be done before we reach Kamino?"

"Not a lot, but I'll rewrap it and give her something to bring the swelling down."

Kix's touch was sure, his skill clearly evident in the way he wrapped Ahsoka's injured knee, but that wasn't enough to stop her from squirming. Dragged from deep slumber, she whined and twisted in the medic's grasp, away from the unfamiliar hands. Anakin reached out, mentally and physically, to calm her.

 _/Easy, Snips. Just relax, everything's okay./_

He ran a hand over her lekku gently, tracing patterns on the stripes to distract her. She stilled, listening to him through their bond.

 _/Hurts, Master./_ Anakin's worry spiked, but he set it aside to send a wave of healing towards her injury. Ahsoka sighed, and stopped kicking, much to Kix's relief. The healer went back to work, while Anakin continued to hold her through the pain. He wished he could have done more, but even his reserves were draining. Ahsoka tried her best to keep still, but she shifted in his lap as her knee was immobilized.

 _Who's there?/_

 _/Just Kix, little one. You got hurt during the mission. But you'll feel better soon, okay? Just trust me./_ Her Force signature calmed, and the pressure on the bond lessened. She leaned into the elder Jedi's touch, relying on their bond to remind herself that she was safe, was being cared for.

 _/Trust you always. Stay with me?/_

 _/I'll be right here. Now sleep, padawan-mine./_ The soothing words accompanied by a sleep suggestion sent Ahsoka free falling back into peaceful slumber.

"Those Jedi bonds sure are something, sir."

Anakin glanced up at the medic, who chuckled as he prepared a hypospray. "Is that so, Kix?"

The clone nodded. "Well, we've been all over the galaxy, sir. Seen a lot of things. But I've never seen a closer connection than a Jedi and their apprentice. That's no easy job, sir. Hard enough for me to watch out for our own."

Anakin smirked. "They do get into some tight scrapes."

Kix raised an eyebrow. "Begging your pardon, General. But you're usually the one getting us into those scrapes."

 _Can't argue with that._

"But you haven't let us down yet, sir. Or her. She's going to be a fine Knight someday."

Anakin couldn't help but smile, in spite of the clone's generous words. He tried his best, but they were in a war. He couldn't save everyone. But he accepted the praise anyway, bowing his head to the medic.

"Thank you Kix. That means a lot."

Kix nodded, closing up his medi-kit.

"Alright, General. This should keep her out until we can get to Kamino and get her knee patched up. Anakin closed his eyes, reaching out to their bond to keep his padawan calm. Ten seconds. He let his guard down for ten seconds and that was all Kix needed.

With one swift motion, the clone stuck the hypo into the Jedi's neck, and with a quick hiss, delivered the sedative. Anakin's eyes snapped open, with a look the medic could only describe as betrayal, before falling shut again as he went limp, still holding his apprentice tight.

"Sorry sir. S'for your own good."

Ahsoka Tano was not entirely sure where she was. Again. This sort of thing tended to happen when you were constantly engaging in life or death battles, heated negotiations, or riding in any vehicle piloted by a certain one armed Jedi Knight. So it wasn't uncommon for her to wake up, head still throbbing from the latest mishap, and be thrown back into the fray with little to no idea of what had happened or where she had ended up.

But this time was different. Unlike the other times where she usually woke up on unforgiving dirt or the cold steel of a prison cell, she was lying on something soft. The Force around her was fuzzy, fluid, and she couldn't pinpoint where one signature began and the others ended. Her Master was near, she knew, as well as a thousand other presences. Some familiar, some not, but above all, the Force assured her she was safe. Being watched over. Everything was okay and she should really just go back to bed.

Except, something wasn't okay. Aside from the usual muscle soreness and blisters on her hands from gripping her saber for so long, there was something different in the way her body felt. But the Force was so muddled and hazy she couldn't pinpoint the exact problem. She inhaled, letting the air fill her lungs and flow through her limbs, desperate to clear the cobwebs from her mind. Her senses sharpened, and she was finally able to figure out what was different, what had changed:

She couldn't move her right leg.

Her eyes snapped open, darting wildly, trying to gather in every scrap of information she could from the sense she had neglected. The room was white, incredibly white _why are med-centers always white it'd be so hard to keep clean_ making her look even brighter than usual. Anakin was in his own bed next to hers, asleep and snoring like an asthmatic gundark. A medic at a panel on the far wall, looking at what appeared to be...her brain activity? He turned and smiled.

"You're awake, I'm surprised. I thought that medicine would keep you out for a while."

Ahsoka pushed herself up to a sitting position, eyeing the stranger curiously. "What's your name?"

The man snapped to attention instantly, looking not at Ahsoka but somewhere above her head.

"CT-97257 sir!"

Ahsoka smirked. This was not a combat soldier, accustomed to Jedi Generals and the tight bonds between brothers.

"Your name, please. Not your number. And relax, I'm not a Commander right now, just a patient."

The man blushed and stepped out of his stance. "I'm Odigos, sir, um-"

"Ahsoka."

"Ahsoka. I'm one of the medics on call right now."

Ahsoka nodded, her sluggish brain finally putting the rest of the pieces together. "I'm guessing this is Kamino, right? I think Master Skywalker may have knocked me out on the transport so I don't really remember getting here."

She could sense his confusion and astonishment about her speaking so nonchalantly of her memory loss, but his expression betrayed nothing.

"That's right. You were both brought here by your medic for treatment."

 _Sneaky, Kix._ The feeling of wrongness, of something being out of place returned, but her senses were still muddled by the medication she had been given.

"What treatment?"

Odigos approached slowly, walking between the two beds. He gestured to the sleeping Knight.

"Your master needs rest. According to your medic, he's constantly in danger of overdosing on stimulants. I've given him something that will purge his system of any remaining stims, so the body can actually recover from any injuries sustained in battle."

Ahsoka nodded, listening carefully. She was glad that Kix had noticed her master's dependence on caf. He knew it was dangerous, forbid her from drinking any, but that was just how he worked.

"What happened to me?"

"We had to dislocate and reset your knee, after you tried to fix it yourself. That wasn't the smartest thing to do, young one."

Ahsoka's headtails darkened. "We didn't have a lot of time. I knew if I told him anything he'd be distracted and we couldn't afford that. The mission-"

"Could have been completed without you risking your health." Odigos interrupted. Ahsoka hung her head, knowing he was right, and thrilled that Anakin wasn't awake to add any more on. She could only take so many lectures.

"Is that why I can't move?"

Odigos pulled back the covers on her bed, showing her what she had been unable to sense. Her right leg was immobilized below her hip by a cast. She would be stuck here until they removed the cast. Already she felt the restless energy returning to her cells, the need to move and jump present.

"How long?" She managed to ask.

Odigos replaced the blanket, tucking it around her like only a doctor could. Not a medical droid, programmed to identify and fix. But a doctor, one born with a greater capacity for compassion than anyone else.

"Another 48 hours, at least. Then a few days of physical therapy before you'll be allowed back on the field."

"Alright. Thank you, Odigos. I appreciate everything."

The doctor bowed, slightly, clearly unfamiliar with the gesture, but he knew that it was a common custom among Jedi.

"I'll be back in a few hours. If you need anything, you can call." With that, he turned on his heel and left the room, the door sliding shut behind him. Ahsoka sighed, sinking back underneath the blankets, resigned to a long two days of mind-numbing boredom, and with Anakin down for the count, she had absolutely nothing to do.

At that moment, the door slid back open. Her eyes drifted over from the ceiling, expecting to see a cleaning droid or Master Kenobi waiting to lecture the pair on responsibility and personal safety. Instead, she was met with three very familiar faces. Three identical faces.

"Well well well...what happened here little 'un?"

Ahsoka beamed, seeing her friends rested and safe. Out of their protective armor, Rex, Jester, and Wrangler looked exactly alike, but it didn't take a Force-sensitive to see that they were identical in appearance only. Each of them had a unique spirit that radiated throughout the room. The three walked in, past the sleeping General to their supernova of a commander. Rex made a mental note to ask Kix how he'd managed to get Anakin to sleep because the captain couldn't remember the last time the man had slept and _if anyone needs it he does, dammit._

"Hey guys! Everyone doing okay?" _Sure, she's lying in the med-center but wants to know if we're okay._

"Nothing to report sir. Everyone's enjoying the peace and quiet. It's always good to come home." Wrangler replied.

"How'd you end up here this time, little 'un?" Ahsoka's headtails darkened at the term, but she loved it anyway. Sure, she was young, but the clones had never treated her like she was less competent. They were protective, like Anakin, but not overly so. They were nearly the same age, physically, but she would always be their little sister. Their little sister that could kick their ass any day of the week.

"Dislocated knee. Stuck on bed rest for the next two days, at least. Hopefully Anakin'll stay asleep so I'm not stuck listening to lectures or pod-race stats."

"Looks like you knee-d our help." Jester teased, to the groans of the group.

"Seriously though," Rex said, "We're here to bust you out."

"How? Not to burst your bubble Rex, but I'm a little short in the 'Limbs that Work' department right now."

"Never stopped the General." Wrangler cut in.

"Not to mentionnnnn the army of medics out there who aren't going to let me walk out of here for another two rotations at least!"

"Who said anything about walking?"

The three clones shared conspiratorial glance between them and looked at Ahsoka with an expression Master Kenobi would have called mischievous and Anakin would have called inspired.

"You okay? Nothing hurts?"

"I told you, I"m fine. But we only have a minute until the next medic comes by, we have to go now."

"Alright, everyone ready? 3… 2… 1… go!"

Ahsoka ducked her head and tightened her grip on Rex's shoulders as the clones took off sprinting down the hall. Rex had hoisted her onto his back, mindful of her injured leg. Jester had grabbed her utility belt (because escape plan or no Anakin would kill her if she left her saber behind) while Wrangler trailed behind, with as many jogan fruit gummy cups as he could carry without dropping them. _Rare flavor_ , he claimed.

They rushed through the halls of the compound, ignoring confused looks from cadets and Kaminoans alike. They turned a corner and passed a set of barracks, where members of the 501st whooped and hollered as they ran by. Ahsoka looked behind her and extended outward with the Force, sending pillows and blankets flying everywhere. She laughed wildly, waving as they turned down another corridor, this one a dead end. The group slowed to a stop, breathless and giggling. Ahsoka didn't even know that clones could giggle. They had seen so much evil, so much sadness, that it had never occurred to her that they were beings capable of incredible silliness and mischief. Perhaps it was a side effect of working with her Master.

"Well, what now?"

Rex looked over his shoulder at the teen, blue eyes glinting. "There's a security camera in the top corner. Can you disable it?"

Ahsoka nodded. Too bad Anakin was stuck in dreamland, she'd been meaning to show him how hard she'd been practicing this skill. Without moving a muscle, she reached her feelings out toward the camera. One good twist, and the camera fell to the ground with a satisfying crunch.

"Okay….how does that help us?"

Jester, being the only one whose hands weren't full with injured Jedi or congealed fruit snacks, walked over to a panel on the far side, running his fingers along it. The smooth surface was deceptive, and it wasn't long before he discovered a small divot in the paneling. He pressed it, and the panel slid open. He smiled back at the group before going in. Wrangler followed, and then Rex, ducking to avoid bumping her headtails on the doorframe.

Once inside, the panel slid shut, leaving them in complete darkness. Rex slid Ahsoka off his shoulders and set her gently on the floor, careful not to jostle her leg _so the General doesn't kill me._ Ahsoka, senses heightened by the darkness, forced herself not to tense up. She trusted these men, they trusted her. But her curiosity could not be squashed so easily.

"What is this place?"

A crackle of electricity and the space filled with light, as warm and comforting as the med-center's were harsh.

"This place, sir, is the best kept secret in the Grand Army of the Republic."

" _This place, sir, is the best kept secret in the Grand Army of the Republic."_

Since she was three, Ahsoka had been trained in the art of control. In containing every emotion, every variation in expression or tone of voice. It had been said that the Jedi had the best Sabbac faces in the galaxy. But Ahsoka wasn't a Jedi yet, not technically, and her friends knew her as well as her Master- better some days. Ike her, they were still children. Like her, they understood that feelings were a luxury and could get you killed on the battlefield. Or worse, they could get others killed. But this was a safe place. No shields or armor required.

The room was smaller than their fresher at the Temple, but even with four people, it felt more cozy than cramped. The harsh white lights had been gutted, replaced with old fashioned ones that glowed like Kashykks' sunsets. Ahsoka ran her fingers over the floor. Someone had taken the time to cover the durasteel panels in a plush foam. It was springy, giving slightly under her weight, reminding her of the gym where she learned to do acrobatics. There were blankets too, scattered here and there. The whole thing was incredible, a nest of soft edges in the midst of hardness.

"Woah." Ahsoka said, softly. It felt wrong to speak above a whisper.

"Don't worry about the noise, sir." Jester reassured. "The padding on the walls sound-proofs the whole area."

The padawan grinned. "How did-"

"Let's just say Mistress Ti can be just as sneaky as we are." Rex supplied. Ahsoka laughed. Of course Master Ti had made this. She had always felt responsible for the clones. She cared for them just as she cared for the younglings in the Temple.

"This place is amazing. Unless you knew exactly where it was, you'd never find it."

Wrangler grinned. "That's not all you'll find." He peeled up a corner of the floor's padding, revealing a trap door. He popped it open, and deposited his armful of gummy cups inside. Ahsoka watched intently as he rustled around in the hidden compartment and pulled out a large glass bottle. He tossed it to the padawan, who caught it easily and studied the label.

"Alderaanian wine? Expensive Alderaanian wine. How did this get here?"

She tossed it to Jester, who shrugged. "It's a tradition to leave something behind for the next person to find. As for the wine, there's only one person I know who would bother giving it to us."

Ahsoka guessed the answer at the same time the others did.

"Kenobi!"

Jester broke the seal on the bottle, letting the scent of sweet summer wine fill the tiny space. He raised it to his brothers and little sister.

"For the fallen." He drank deeply before passing it to Wrangler.

"For the innocent." The others heard the crack in the soldier's voice, but did not comment. He'd been named for his ability to connect with animals, and they all knew how the war had been on those caught in the crossfire. Humanoid or not, they were all affected.

Rex took the bottle in his hands, letting the room be silent for a minute or two. He lifted it high,saying, "For the battles yet to be won." He drank, and then handed the bottle to Ahsoka, who did not hesitate. She looked at each of her soldiers, her friends, her brothers in turn, and smiled.

"For the ones we love."

The wine was sweeter than anything Ahsoka had before, with a bitter edge that cut through her mouth as she swallowed, leaving her craving the sweetness of another sip.

And for awhile, that's all they did. They were content to sit in silence and drink. Speaking would break through the haze of memory, and for the moment, they simply wanted to remember. Even those things that would be best left forgotten. Eventually, Wrangler's curiosity got the better of him.

"Vod'ika, I thought that Jedi weren't allowed to love." Rex and Jester looked up from their musings. They didn't have to say anything for Ahsoka to know that they'd been thinking about it too.

"Attachment is forbidden, ner vod, not love." Three different shades of confusion came over three identical faces.

"What's the difference?"

"Well, to love someone is to care for them. To want to protect them and make sure they're okay. Attachment is when you're unable to let that person go. When you can't accept that they're eventually going to leave you. I love my Master, but I won't be his student forever. We'll be separated, one way or another. I just have to trust that we'll be reunited later."

"So Jedi aren't allowed to grieve?" Wrangler asked. Ahsoka's breath caught in her throat. Images, faces, mangled bodies and bloodied hands that couldn't save them flashed in front of her eyes. She picked the bottle of wine up from the center of the floor and took a long drink.

"No. Jedi don't grieve. We celebrate the life that has moved into the Force." Rex scooted closer to the young Jedi and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"That's not true, and you know it, kiddo. Jedi or not, you're still a person. You still need to grieve. We all do. We don't always have the time, but we still need it. And that includes you."

Jester and Wrangler crawled over and gathered themselves around the teen. They hugged each other, finding comfort in their continued heartbeats. Ahsoka reached out to the Force and let the feelings of her brothers overtake her. The warmth, the safety, the love that she felt chased away everything else. She touched their minds, gently, a silent thanks. They gasped as they felt it, holding each other even closer than before. After a few minutes, Ahsoka spoke.

"I need a drink."

Rex picked up the bottle of wine, now only a few swallows left in the bottom. "I think we've all had quite enough for right now."

Jester rested his head on Wrangler's shoulder. "Are you even old enough to drink on Kamino?"

"Nope!"

The soldiers burst into laughter, endless roaring laughter that slowly devolved into sobbing. The clung to each other and laughed and cried for as long as they wanted to. No telling when they'd get this chance again. If they'd ever be together again.

Unlike his Master, who could quickly become distressed and disoriented, Anakin had always found the medbay quite peaceful. He could never afford injury or illness when he was a boy; medical care was expensive, and there were no sick days allotted for slaves. It wasn't long after arriving to the Temple that he realized yet another thing that set him apart from his age-mates. Force sensitive or not, few children actually enjoyed going to the doctor. But Anakin never minded being treated by the Temple healers or the clone medics, or even the medical droids. The opportunity to rest and let his body repair itself was one he never took for granted. Even if such an opportunity was thrust upon him by a slightly sneaky and more than slightly vindictive medic.

Kix was right, of course. He was always right. Next to the Temple staff, Kix knew more about treating Force-sensitive beings than anyone. And he knew how dangerous stimulants could be. War pushed everyone to their physical and mental limit, but if Jedi weren't careful, they could damage their ability to perform. Too much caf, too many nights without sleep could lower your midi-chlorian count. And then they'd all be in trouble. Anakin wasn't worried, even at his worst he was still more powerful than most his age. He was worried about maintaining his strength for others, his men, and especially his padawan.

To his credit, Anakin had only panicked for ten or fifteen seconds when he woke up in an unfamiliar place- the bed next to his empty and his padawan's red boots lying on the floor. With both of them on medication, their bond was too fuzzy, too hazy, for him to feel her exact location. But before he could send the entire Grand Army of the Republic out on a search, the Force overwhelmed him with feelings of HOME and SAFE and SLEEPY. Wherever Ahsoka was, she was protected and cared for. If it had been a year ago, Anakin would have ignored every muscle in his body screaming at him to stay exactly where he was because _everything hurts and movement is too difficult right now_ and jumped on his instinct to find her.

But for now, he needed to rest, and so did she. His padawan was safe, she was surrounded by the finest fighting forces the galaxy had ever seen, second only to the Jedi. He'd already slept for an entire rotation, and even though it wasn't nearly enough to make up for all the sleep he'd lost, he needed to do something so he wouldn't go crazy from being stuck in bed. So he pulled out a datapad and started the mission report. Thankfully Kix's sedative hadn't affected his memory.

It was much quieter when Rex walked back towards the medbay, passing the barracks filled with his snoozing brothers. The Captain swore he could still hear their laughter echoing off the walls. He wasn't sure what was better, the sounds of joy in the midst of suffering or complete silence and peace without chaos or noise to drown it out. _Maybe._ He thought. _Maybe one day I'll be able to forget what the war sounded like. What their screams sound like._

He shook the thought from his mind. It hadn't taken long for Rex and the rest of the 501st to realize that Jedi, even their young Commander, were extremely perceptive. They could pick up on the emotions of those around them, and the last thing Rex wanted to do at the moment was disturb the young Togruta dozing in his arms. They were very much alike, the Captain and the Commander. Both initially born into peace, but trained to fight and kill. _Maybe one day she will know peace again._ He could see her now, her headtails growing as she grew in wisdom. A starry-eyed apprentice at her side, always begging for stories about her days with the "Hero With No Fear". General Skywalker would tousle their hair and General Kenobi would always have them over for tea. A galaxy at peace, one where he could always spot a familiar face in a crowd. He tried not to think of any other possibilities. Instead, Rex chose to think of nothing as he made his way back to the infirmary, counting his steps, focusing only on keeping his gait smooth and even.

Rex wasn't surprised, seeing General Skywalker sitting up in bed, rather than asleep. There was an old joke around the 501st that the Jedi never slept, merely closed their eyes and retreated into their minds to work. But the dark bruises under his eyes had lightened, and the color had returned to his face. He wasn't fully rested, would never be, but it was much better. The General smiled when he saw his Padawan, curled up like a lothcat cub.

"All tuckered out, Rex?" The clone Captain nodded, tightening his grip fractionally.

"The wine might've had something to do with that, sir."

Anakin chuckled. "Well, at least she can't cause any trouble with a hangover."

"By that logic, sir, General Kenobi would buy you drinks every night."

A true laugh, a pealing laugh rang through the small room. Ahsoka mumbled something unintelligible and shifted in Rex's grasp.

Anakin shifted over in his bed and reached out a hand. "Here, I'll take her." As gently as he could, Rex lowered the padawan to rest beside her Master, who tucked the remaining blankets around her. He reached out a slight tendril of the Force, and got a sleepy response. She knew he was there. She was safe.

"Thanks for taking care of her, Rex."

Rex stepped back and gave the Jedi a polite nod. "Anytime, sir. She's one of our own."

Anakin smiled, watching as Rex turned on his heel, and left the room. He looked back down at his charge snuggling against his side. Not for the first time, he cursed the Jedi Code and all of its lies. There was no way in the galaxy that _this_ could be bad. With that in mind, he reached out with the Force and shut off the harsh medical lights and sunk back down underneath the covers. Ahsoka curled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. The last thought he knew before falling back to sleep was that his arm would probably be numb by morning, but at least he didn't have to worry about losing a hand.


End file.
